United States Ninth Circuit

Reconciling the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act (MVRA) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), criminal restitution orders can be enforced by garnishing a criminal defendant's retirement funds, but with the funds only payable when the defendant has a current, unilateral right to receive payments under the terms of the retirement plan.

Appellate Information

• Argued 10/03/2006
• Decided 02/22/2007
• Published 02/22/2007

Judges

• BERZON, Circuit Judge., Before MARY M. SCHROEDER, Chief Circuit Judge, HARRY PREGERSON, STEPHEN REINHARDT, ANDREW J. KLEINFELD, MICHAEL DALY HAWKINS, SIDNEY R. THOMAS, BARRY G. SILVERMAN, M. MARGARET McKEOWN, KIM McLANE WARDLAW, WILLIAM A. FLETCHER, RICHARD A. PAEZ, MARSHA S. BERZON, JOHNNIE B. RAWLINSON, RICHARD R. CLIFTON, and JAY S. BYBEE, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Brent A. Whittlesey, Assistant United States Attorney, Los Angeles, CA, for the plaintiff-appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Martin S. Bakst, Encino, California, for the defendant-appellee.